japan running news

After finishing 11th at the Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden's 99th edition to end its 3-year streak of making the 10-deep podium, Tokyo Kokusai University announced on Jan. 18 that head coach Yuji Oshida , 60, will resign. After also finishing 8th at October's Izumo Ekiden and 11th at November's National University Ekiden Oshida's resignation came as a way of taking personal responsibility for the program's drop in competitive level. He will be replaced by veteran coach Saburo Yokomizo , 83. A graduate of Chuo University , where he won Hakone's 8th leg during his senior year, Oshida was the gold medalist in the 1500 m at the 1986 Asian Games. After working as assistant coach at Honda and Chuo, including for Chuo's 1996 Hakone Ekiden win, he has been head coach at Tokyo Kokusai since the program's inception in 2011, building it up from zero in consultation with fellow Chuo alumnus Yokomizo. Tokyo Kokusai first qualified for the Hakone Ekiden in 2016. In 2020 i...

While offering words of congratulations on the nomination of former Inter-University Athletic Union of Kanto (KGRR) director Yoshiyuki Aoba , 77, to the head coach position at Nihon University , Susumu Hara , 53, head coach of 2020 Hakone Ekiden winner Aoyama Gakuin University, voiced caution about the potential for Aoba to wield too much influence. The move by Nihon University, which finished 18th at Hakone this year, came as a surprise to the university men's ekiden scene, replacing retiring coach Yoshiyuki Musha , 36, with the 77-year-old veteran and Nihon alumnus Aoba who had led Daito Bunka University to four Hakone titles in younger days. Aoba hasn't coached since he left Daito Bunka in 2000 to take up the position of KGRR director. Currently the core figure in the university ekiden world, in a telephone interview Hara reacted with surprise to the news of Aoba's return. "To begin with, I would like to congratulate Coach Aoba on his return to the scene,...

Nihon University , 18th at this year's Hakone Ekiden, has named former Daito Bunka University head coach and former Inter-University Athletic Union of Kanto (KGRR) director Yoshiyuki Aoba , 77, as its new head coach. It is almost unheard-of for someone who has risen to the top position of the KGRR, organizers of the Hakone Ekiden, to return to coaching. Previous head coach Yoshiyuki Musha , 36, has retired from coaching and will remain at Nihon University in another capacity. With 12 Hakone Ekiden titles to its name, ranking it #3 in the event's history, and 89 Hakone appearances, the second-most in history, the change is a surprising move from the powerhouse Nihon University. The young Musha stepped down following this year's 18th-place finish, the sixth year in a row that Nihon has missed a prestigious top ten finish, leaving the door open for the 77-year-old veteran Aoba to come in. Aoba graduated from Nihon University, becoming head coach at Daito Bunka Universi...

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/tokyotama/news/20150903-OYTNT50314.html translated and edited by Brett Larner The big test for Tokyo-area universities hoping to make the 92nd running of the New Year's classic Hakone Ekiden , the Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai qualifier road race is set to take place Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo.  Ahead of the Yosenkai, upper-level officials from the KGRR and the SDF Tachikawa Chutonchi Base met Sept. 3 to authorize an agreement of use of the base's runway for the start of the race course.  Participating in the signing were KGRR chairman Yoshiyuki Aoba , 73, and Tachikawa Chutonchi Base commander Masashi Kido , 52.  Both dignitaries signed the agreement and affixed it with their seals.  Chairman Aoba commented, "The number of schools participating in the Yosenkai is increasing every year.  We hope for fine autumn weather on race day and another safe and successful qualifying race."  Commander Kido concurred, saying, "Together w...

http://www.47news.jp/CN/201001/CN2010011901000781.html http://www.47news.jp/CN/201001/CN2010011801000967.html translated and edited by Brett Larner With an eye toward strengthening Japanese men's marathoning and distance running in the buildup to the 2012 London Olympics, Rikuren announced on Jan. 19 that it will sponsor a series of national training camps for promising marathoners in New Zealand and other overseas locations. Among the first to be named for the camps are Hakone Ekiden stars Ryuji Kashiwabara, who earlier this month led Toyo University to its second-straight Hakone win, and first year Akinobu Murasawa of Tokai University, who won October's Hakone Ekiden Yosenkai 20 km in a strong 59:08. Rikuren's Long Distance and Road Racing Special Committee revealed that the first camp will take place in New Zealand in March and April. Following June's National Track and Field Championships the camp's athletes will head to the United States for road racing and hig...

http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090422-00000059-jij-spo http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2009/04/23/01.html translated and edited by Brett Larner On Apr. 22 the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association rejected an appeal by Nihon Taiku [Nittai] University to overturn punitive measures the Association had levied against Nittai in response to marijuana use by a member of the university's track and field team.* Nittai had sought to reverse the ruling in an effort to expedite the rebuilding of its track and field team, but the Association chose to leave its original decision in place unaltered. Despite Nittai having already suspended its entire track and field team for one month, the Kanto Association imposed the draconian measures of stripping the school's long distance running team of its prestigious seeded position in next year's Hakone Ekiden and banning the entire track and field team from competing in Association-sponsored competitions until June 30....

http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20090416ddm041040069000c.html translated by Brett Larner In response to a marijuana scandal at a training facility in Yokohama involving a now-expelled pole vaulter on Nittai University's track and field team, the Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association headed by Yoshiyuki Aoba informed Nittai on Apr. 15 that the school's long distance ekiden squad will lose its seeded position in next year's Hakone Ekiden. Additionally, Nittai's entire track and field team must suspend all activity for the next three months. Nittai University officials accepted the decision. An official with the Kanto Association commented, "I've never heard of a school being stripped of its Hakone seed like this before." Nittai University had already placed the 46 members of its track and field team's pole vault and jump squad on indefinite suspension as of Mar. 26 and afterwards suspended the rest of the track and field team through...

http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20081206ddm035040061000c.html http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2008/12/06/06.html translated and edited by Mika Tokairin and Brett Larner The Kanto Regional University Track and Field Association announced its decision following a closed meeting in Tokyo on Dec. 5 that Toyo University will still be allowed to compete in the Jan. 2-3 Hakone Ekiden in the wake of a sexual assault scandal involving a member of the university's track and field team. Sophomore Kazuki Kobayashi, 20, a steeplechase runner on Toyo's track team who was not a member of the school's elite ekiden team, was arrested on Dec. 1 for allegedly molesting a female high school student on a Tokyo commuter train the same morning. Toyo head coach Shinji Kawashima and track and field team administrator Yuji Kawano resigned in the wake of the incident , with Kawashima apologizing for the failure of his leadership. Kawashima and three other representatives from Toyo met wit...